Morning journal and courier., 1887-11-19
MASONIC WAN.

Where the Responsibility Chiefly
Rests-The Grand lodge We. Hiram
The International Masonic Reviews
Opinion.
The International Masonic Review for
October has the following editorial article,
headed masonic War; Is Masonry Doomeda'
In our August number We had a short
editorial on this subject, and we now clip
from an estimable exchange Indianapolis
SentineD the following very sensible editor
ial, in which the editor of the Advocate says
editorially in his comment on Grand Master
Green's circular of last July anent the Hiram
lodge matter: I'VE are no apologist for in
subordination in Masonic lodge. Obedience
to law and constitutional authority is plain
Masonic duty. But it does seem to us at
this distance that the responsibility for this
trouble rests largely with the Grand lodge.
What necessity was there for compelling
Hiram lodge to adopt something new in the
work contrary to what it had taught and
practiced for nearly century and half?
Masonry is Interchangeable. Has the Grand
lodge of Connecticut discovered something
new of SO great Importance to the craft
in that jurisdiction that it must be en-
forced at the sacrifice of one of the Oldest,
largest and best lodges in the world? We
hardly think SO, and trust that the spirit of
coercion in this case may be supplanted by
one of mutual concession, through which
settlement of this unfortunate trouble may
be contaminated" We say this spirit of CO.
ercion is very much of the same kind extend
ed by England to Ireland, and will sooner or
| later land some of these heightened and over
bearing dignitaries in an engagement of dis
| cord that will be exceedingly unpleasant and
dangerous to live in. This eternal quarreling
| about rites and forms, this changing of the
| esoteric work, this undermining of exemplif-
| cation, this overdone elocution, this stere-
| oscopic exhibition of degrees is all
well enough for the diffusion of
| cooperative insurance associations-the
| Knights of Pythias, Order of Eastern Star,
l and the kindred thousand and one new and
1 old clap-trap degrees of such associations,
1 but it has no more place in good old fashion
| ed Masonry than has ga mad bull in china
| shop Every person has right to become
| a member or hold his own views about any
| order or of any branch of the Masonic order
/ he may belong to. But he nor they, nor any
1 body of men or members of any Grand lodge
| has right to change, alter or remove land
1 mark, and after a lodge has for over a CEN
l tury of years, without objection, performed
| it's work satisfactorily no Grand lodge has
any authority to change it or to discipline
1 any lodge for refusing to obey the order of a
| Grand lodge for disobeying its order in abro-
4 CATION of any landmark, and we glory in the
pluck of Hiram lodge to say SO. There has
4 been and still is far too much tink-
4 ering with the ritual work and formula.
We say. "Give us rest" Leave
1 us the good old-fashioned work that made
1 and was worked by such men as Washington,
1 Lafayette, Warren, Putnam and the thou
L sands of other good Masons who lived and
\ died well satisfied with it, and left it as a
4 blessed heritage to the brethren who came
after them. The universal Masonry of for
| eign countries has not had this eternal tink-
erine Of the ritusl-their Masonry is general
and universal. America is the only country
| where the work of the craft is not universal
| no two States in detail work alike. 1t is not
right for set of new tangled grand officers
| OF grand lecturers to cram a new edition of
Masonic ritual down the throat of old
lodge like Hiram lodge No. 1 of Connect
cut. We say this is outrage, and if this
is Masonic ''treason" make the most of it.
| It has been asserted by some of the de-
tenders of the Grand lodge of Connecticut
that it is only about the giving of a Masonic
| sign that all this trouble comes from. Well,
| suppose it is, is not sign a landmark Most
/ assuredly it is, else how could one brother
know another in this country who has been
| made in some foreign countrya If Masonry
is as ancient as it is claimed to be, handed
down to US from the original mother lodge
how cana sign be changed? 1t is society
| of signs, grips and tokens, unalterable by
any man, set of men, or Grand lodges. In
fact, these Grand lodges and Grand lectur
ers are doing good many things that tend
1 to confuse .embarrass and disgust tht
more intelligent Mason. They say they are
the supreme authority of the craft
1--WE admit that while acting
within the scope of their authority
, but they are merely body of delegated au
thority, and have no more authority to breal
landmark or absolve an obligation than thu
Blue or mother lodge that made the Crane
lodge has, and sent it's officers as delegates t.
convene in the grand body, and simply be
4 cause they are the court of last resort doe
not authorize them to defy or set at naugh
: the power that made them delegates ana
! | agents. And this is why courts are callet
s upon to enforce their disregard of landmark
and laws by mandamus and injunctions t
rectify the usurpation of these fellows, who
clothed with little brief authority, do deed
f that make Masonry weep and make the say
ing true that "fools rush in where angels fea
:. to tread -